Wednesday's game also matched the Penguins' largest margin of victory against the Flyers. Per Bob Grove, the only other time they beat them 7-0 was in 1988.
14 of the Penguins' 18 skates registered at least one point in Wednesday's victory. Goaltender Arturs Silovs also recorded a shutout in his season debut for a second-straight season. He made the saves he needed to make and looked very calm in the crease.
It was everything the Penguins wanted in their first game of the year, and they'll try to keep the good vibes rolling when the Montreal Canadiens come to Pittsburgh for the home opener on Saturday.
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 3-2 final score in their season opener on Tuesday.
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes played a big role in Montreal's win, as he stopped 26 out of 28 shots. With this, he finished the contest with an impressive .929 save percentage.
With how well Dobes has started this season, could be on his way to an even better 2026-27 campaign? The possibility should not be ruled out.
As well as Dobes played last season, it is important to note that it was also his first full NHL campaign. Due to this, it is fair to wonder if he could hit a new level with the Canadiens now that he is more adjusted to the NHL level.
In 43 regular-season games during the 2025-26 season, Dobes posted a 29-10-4 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.78 goals-against average. He also had a .908 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average in 19 playoff games for Montreal last spring. With this, the 25-year-old has shown a lot of promise, and it will be interesting to see what he does for an encore in 2026-27.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees reacts after a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s not beat around the bush—the Yankees didn’t. You could not have scripted a better two games than the pair the Bronx Bombers produced in this season’s Wild Card series rematch with the Red Sox. In both games, magnificent starting pitching blazed a trail through which the lineup ably followed. In both games, a late home run provided the thumb in the eye to their archrivals the hometown crowd was seeking. The Yankees are headed to the Sunshine State, thanks to one of the more complete dismantlings of the Red Sox we’ve seen in recent years: a 9-2 masterpiece which was even more lopsided than the scoreline suggested.
There was one notable diversion from the Tuesday night blueprint. While Game 1 was something of a story of individual performances—with Cam Schlittler’s incredible start and Ben Rice’s historic night at the plate—Game 2 saw contributions from all across the lineup. Max Fried was brilliant, yes, but the plate production was remarkably balanced. Every batter who started the game got a hit, and five players drove in a run. And best of all, the Red Sox headed home with just two runs and eight total hits for their troubles. They’ll watch from the couch as the Yankees advance with burning eyes toward the top-seeded Rays.
The first parallel to Game 1 was the impressive starting pitching that got us underway. Max Fried struck out the first two Red Sox he faced, freezing Adley Rutschman on a picturesque changeup. Rutschman had tested the left field foul pole on his previous swing, but it hooked wide. Sonny Gray replied with an equally tidy start, getting Ben Rice to flail over top of a sweeper and setting down the top of the Yankee order quickly.
From there, the tennis rally from the two starters continued. Fried replied with a seven-pitch second, Gray worked around a two-out infield single. Fried navigated a hustle double (aided by a rather lackadaisical effort in center field from Trent Grisham) to put up another zero, Gray gave up a little bleeder of a hit to Ryan McMahon but nothing else. Suddenly we were already in the bottom of the fourth inning, still scoreless.
About an hour and five minutes into the affair, we finally got our first loud sound. It came off the bat of Luis García Jr. Sonny Gray’s 1-2 slider caught too much plate and ran into García’s barrel—he scorched it 107 mph to the short porch in right for a 1-0 Yankee lead.
Spencer Jones followed up with a broken bat single to left, but Gray was ultimately able to retire the side on a double play ball. Fried though, just like in last year’s Wild Card opener, buckled down with the narrow lead. He sandwiched a lazy pop between two more strikeouts, giving him six on the evening as we reached the midway mark.
The Bombers managed to chase Gray from the game in the bottom of the fifth when a base hit from Rice set up first and third with two men out. The Red Sox made the highly sensible decision to bring in lefty reliever Erik Miller to face Cody Bellinger. The only problem with that logic is the fact that Cody Bellinger is one of the best left-on-left hitters in baseball. He rewarded manager Chad Tracy’s decision with a base hit to right field, scoring Austin Wells for a 2-0 Yankee lead.
From there, New York had an opportunity to put Boston on the ropes. Garcia came in and roped a hard single to left, which should have loaded the bases for Spencer Jones. Unfortunately, third base coach Luis Rojas decided to send Rice to the plate—even though left fielder Nate Eaton had the ball in his glove by the time Rice hit the bag at third. The result was predictable: Eaton’s throw came home well ahead of the runner, and Ben was dead meat at home.
Rojas’ poor decision loomed larger in the top of the sixth inning when Max Fried, a strike away from completing another scoreless frame, just got beat. Willson Contreras stayed back on a payoff fastball above the zone and belted it out to right field for a home run, snapping Boston’s 26.2-inning postseason scoreless streak. Credit to Max, he got the final out soon after and departed with the lead intact. He finished with just three hits and one walk against six strikeouts. It was more than good enough to deliver the Yankees a victory, if his offense could help him out a little more.
It all began with a strikeout.
Garrett Crochet, in keeping with an early Wild Card round theme across the league, made his first appearance in a ballgame since hitting the injured list back in April. I was actually at the last start Crochet made: he made quick work of the Orioles over six innings. Boston scored 10 runs in the ninth inning to win 17-1. Alex Cora was fired as Red Sox manager the next day.
Crochet started his comeback outing by getting Spencer Jones to chase on a pitch well below the strike zone. But the ball would not behave, darting away from Rutschman. Jones burst out of the box, and was initially called out on the 2-3 putout, but Aaron Boone quickly challenged, and the replay revealed that Jones was safe. From there, the Yankees sensed their moment.
George Lombard Jr. came up next. Jones waited for Crochet to deliver to the plate, and made a mad dash for second. Rutschman’s throw slipped past Trevor Story and rolled into center field, allowing Jones to pop right back up and dig for third. So if you’re keeping track, that’s three free bases awarded to Jones by the Red Sox catcher. Lombard quickly gave him a fourth with an opposite field single, getting the run back and bringing the Yankee crowd to a roar.
Crochet was fully rattled now. He gave up another hit, this time to Jazz Chisholm Jr., then watched as Trent Grisham dropped a perfect bunt and beat the throw to first, loading the bases with nobody out. With Austin Wells due to hit next, Tracy ended the experiment, calling for Garrett Whitlock in an attempt to staunch the wound.
But the Yankees’ wheels were in motion, and their wagon would stop for no man. Austin Wells, who has worked tons of productive at-bats this series, provided yet another by adding a sac fly for a 4-1 score. McMahon followed with a ground ball to short, hit in such a spot and at such a velocity that another run could easily score; 5-1 Yankees. Then, on a night in which Clay Bellinger threw the ceremonial first pitch, up came Cody.
Whitlock probably felt he was fairly close to a livable scenario, having traded two runs for two outs. But his 1-0 changeup caught a big chunk of the strike zone, and Bellinger was ready to attack. His fly ball to right drifted out toward the short porch. Wilyer Abreu tracked back, back, back… and watched as it landed in the second row.
Like Rice’s grand slam the night before, the Yankees had found their knockout punch by way of the long ball. New York batted around in a six-run sixth inning. Shell-shock in the third base dugout; pandemonium at River Ave.
Even the Red Sox’ feeble comeback efforts were met with a quick response. Nick Sogard took Will Warren deep for a solo home run in the top of the seventh, so the Yankees got right back to work, with yet another quality at-bat from Wells culminating in a run-scoring single, shifting the scoreboard to 9-2. Whitlock, once the one that got away, was the one who allowed the Yankees to get away once and for all tonight.
Aaron Boone gave the back end of his bullpen some tune-up work as they prepared for the flight to Tampa Bay. Brent Headrick finished up the eighth in relief of Warren, then David Bednar came on for the ninth inning. The Red Sox managed one more baserunner on a walk to Contreras, but their time was up. Bednar struck out Caleb Durbin for the 27th out as the Yankees, in far less stressful fashion this time, eliminated the Red Sox in the Wild Card for the second consecutive year.
The Bombers will look to keep the tremendous momentum they built in this short series rocking into Tropicana Field. Game 1 of the ALDS will be on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Gerrit Cole, the presumptive Game 3 starter against Boston, will likely start Game 1 against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen. TBS will have the call. Enjoy this one, Yankees fans, and we’ll see you this weekend.
For the second year in a row, the New York Yankees ended the season of their rivals. While 2025 was a dramatic three-game series that saw them come back after a Game 1 loss, this season was a lot more emphatic, with the Yankees winning 9-2 on Wednesday to send the Boston Red Sox home for the season.
Game 2 in the Bronx unfolded a lot like Game 1 did on Tuesday. The first few innings were a masterful pitching duel between Max Fried for the Yankees and Sonny Gray for the Red Sox. Through the first three and a half innings, there were only four total hits, seven strikeouts, and neither team had pushed a run across.
Then, just as they did in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series, the Yankees drew first blood in Game 2 when Luis Garcia Jr., who the Yankees acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline, took a sweeper from Sonny Gray and deposited it into the right field bleachers to give New York a 1-0 lead.
Gray would recover to retire the next three batters, and then two of the first three batters in the fifth inning before Ben Rice singled to right field, advancing Austin Wells to third. From there, it was deja vu in the Bronx.
After Red Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled starting pitcher Payton Tolle in Game 1 after 4.2 innings and went to left-hander Erik Miller out of the pen, the Red Sox manager decided to pull Gray at 4.2 innings and go to Miller again. On Tuesday, Ben Rice crushed a solo home run off Miller. On Wednesday, Cody Bellinger laced a single off of him to score a run.
The damage could have been worse too. The next batter, Garcia Jr., singled into left field, but the Yankees gifted the Red Sox an out with a poor send from the third base coach Luis Rojas. Rice, who hadn’t even touched third base when left fielder Nate Eaton fielded the ball, was easily thrown out at home, and the Red Sox were somehow down just 2-0.
Then, in the top of the sixth inning, Willson Contreras put the Red Sox on the board with a home run to right-center field that barely scraped its way over the fence. For the first time in the entire series, it felt like the Red Sox may have had a fighting chance to pull out a win.
That moment was short-lived.
While the Yankees trade deadline acquisition hit a major home run, the Red Sox deadline acquisition cost his team a run. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet came in for his first appearance since April 25th. The left-hander has been battling a lat injury all season, but has been throwing simulated games in the hopes of returning for the postseason.
His first pitch was a 97 mph sinker to Spencer Jones, and he quickly worked the count in his favor and struck out Jones on a sweeper in the dirt, but catcher Adley Rutschman, who the Red Sox acquired from the Orioles for a huge price at the deadline, was slow to corral the ball and throw to first, which allowed Jones to beat the throw. Two pitches later, Jones stole second base, and Rutschman threw the ball into center field. One pitch later, George Lombard laced a single to center, and the Yankees had a 3-1 lead.
Yankee Stadium came to life again, and Crochet went from rehabbing on a quiet spring training complex field in Florida to standing on the mound in the Bronx in front of a rabid crowd. After another single to Jazz Chisholm and then a bunt single by Trent Grisham, Crochet was removed from the game with the bases loaded and no outs.
Another bullpen decision by Chad Tracy gone horribly awry, but it wouldn’t be the last one of the series.
Tracy immediately went to Garrett Whitlock, a key member of the back end of the Red Sox bullpen, which has been really good this season. On the surface, the move made sense. The Red Sox were down 3-1 and needed big outs to remain in the game. In practice, things did not go as planned.
Austin Wells hit a sacrifice fly, and then a slow groundball from Ryan McMahon plated the fifth run of the day for the Yankees. With a base open, Tracy opted to intentionally walk Rice to bring up Cody Bellinger, who crushed a home run to right field on a hanging chanegup, and another huge home run for the Yankees broke the game wide open.
Bellinger finished 2-for-5 with four RBI, while Garcia Jr. went 3-for-5 with the home run in his first playoff game for the Yankees. The only player on the Red Sox who had two hits in the entire series was Contreras, who went 2-for-2 with two walks and the home run tonight.
Despite the 18 runs the Yankees scored in the two-game series, the Red Sox had two pretty solid outings from their starting pitchers. Gray ended his day allowing two runs on six hits in 4.2 innings, while throwing 71% of his pitches for strikes and registering a 17% swinging strike rate. It was a solid outing, but it didn’t match up to Fried, who finished the day allowing one run on three hits in six innings while striking out six and walking one. He didn’t throw as many strikes as Gray or produce as many whiffs, but he made the big pitches when it counted.
In six games as a member of the Yankees, since New York outbid Boston for Fried’s services two years ago, the left-hander has a 1.24 ERA against Boston, allowing just five runs in 36.1 innings while posting a 41/13 K/BB ratio.
For the Yankees, there is certainly great satisfaction in dispatching their bitter rival for the second straight postseason. However, there may be even more cause for celebration in knowing that their captain, Aaron Judge, will likely be able to re-join them for the Divisional Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the Red Sox, their season will be defined by extremes. They had a disastrous start to the season that led to the firing of almost half their coaching staff, including manager Alex Cora, and saw them fall to 14 games under .500. They then put together a franchise-record 15-game winning streak and went on a 27-3 stretch that turned around their entire season. Unfortunately, their bats went ice cold in September and never woke up for the playoffs, while rookie manager Chad Tracy did a tremendous job in getting his team to the postseason but couldn’t pull the right strings once they got there.
The Red Sox will now begin to think about adding an impact hitter and determining the health of star outfielder Roman Anthony, who didn't play in this game due to an ongoing hand injury, while the Yankees will think about how to get past the Rays, who bested them for the AL East crown this weekend.
That series will begin on Saturday at Tropicana Field at 6:30 pm ET on TBS and HBO Max.
New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried throws a pitch during the first inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.
For a second straight night, a Yankees starting pitcher shut down the Red Sox. This time, it was Max Fried tossing six innings of one-run ball, a day after Cam Schlittler’s brilliance.
Max Fried throws a pitch during the first inning of the Yankees’ 9-2 series-clinching blowout win over the Red Sox in their AL wild-card matchup on Sept. 30, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Zero
Boston manager Chad Tracy lamented his team’s struggles on offense before the game, and they continued in the defeat, as they were held scoreless until the sixth inning.
Unsung hero
After Luis García Jr. went deep to give the Yankees the lead in the fourth, it was Cody Bellinger’s three-run shot in the sixth that sealed the win in another lopsided victory.
Key stat
26 ⅔: Just how bad was Boston’s lineup? Dating back to last year’s wild-card series, they went the equivalent of nearly three full games without scoring in the postseason.
Quote of the night
“I feel like I was able to enjoy that one. Just a home game in Yankee Stadium. It’s a really fun atmosphere. It’s fun to play. And hopefully we get many, many more this month,’’
Isiah Thomas will be appointed to the Knicks' board of directors.
Isiah Thomas is back in the Knicks orbit.
The Hall of Famer will be appointed to the Knicks board of directors when Madison Square Garden Sports Corporation splits the Knicks and Rangers into two publicly traded companies next month.
The transaction, contingent on approvals by the NBA and NHL, is set to be completed Oct. 26, creating MSG Knickerbockers Corporation (which will own the Knicks and Westchester Knicks) and MSG Rangers Corporation (which will own the Rangers, the MSG training facility and the Hartford Wolf Pack).
It’s a normal board of directors role that answers to shareholders — not a basketball role that would involve him in roster decisions. Members of the board of directors are not employees of the company.
Isiah Thomas will be appointed to the Knicks’ board of directors. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
But it rekindles Thomas’ involvement with the Knicks — though he’s long been involved with MSG at large — despite a disastrous tenure as both president and coach.
Thomas served as Knicks president for five seasons, from 2003-04 to 2007-08. After the Knicks fired Larry Brown, Thomas named himself head coach — a position he had for the final two years of that tenure.
The Knicks went 138-237 in the five seasons he was president and 56-108 in the two seasons he was head coach.
And in the middle of his Knicks tenure, Thomas was accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit by former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders. MSG eventually settled the lawsuit for $11.5 million, though Thomas was not himself found liable for monetary damages.
After Thomas was fired as president and coach, the Knicks intended to bring him back as a consultant. But Thomas took a collegiate job as FIU head coach, and the NBA did not allow him to work for both FIU and the Knicks.
That same offseason, the Knicks publicly credited Thomas for his role in helping the team sign Amar’e Stoudemire.
Knicks owner James Dolan Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
A year later in 2011, former NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Thomas played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in the decision to trade for Carmelo Anthony, though the Knicks denied it.
Since 2020, Thomas has been on the Sphere’s (Sphere Entertainment) board of directors. The Sphere is owned by Dolan.
Former Knicks president Steve Mills, who was serving on the MSG Sports Corporation board of directors, will transition to the MSG Rangers Corporation board of directors. Mills served as Knicks president for four years from 2013-14 to 2019-20.
Max Fried threw six strong innings, and Luis García Jr. and Cody Bellinger slammed home runs Wednesday night as the Yankees blew out the Red Sox, 9-2, in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.
The victory means the Yanks won the best-of-three series against Boston, 2-0. Now they head into an AL Division Series date with the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays. This DS, which features the AL’s two best teams, starts on Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
After the final out, the Yankees met on the field in a handshake line, a mellow celebration of a convincing beatdown of their rivals.
The Red Sox season is over. New York has eliminated Boston in the Wild Card round in each of the last two years.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Even without the injured Aaron Judge, the Yankees lineup pounded Boston pitching, scoring nine runs in the opener and nine more times in Game 2. The Yanks outscored Boston in the series, 18-2, and outhit the Sox, 26-7.
-- Fried threw 21 pitches in the first inning but quickly got his workload in order with a seven-pitch second. He didn’t encounter much trouble all night in allowing just three hits, including a solo homer by Willson Contreras. He relied mainly on his sweeper, cutter and four-seam fastball, though he threw three other pitch types, too. Fried struck out six and walked one in earning the third postseason win of his career.
-- García, who did not start Game 1 because the Red Sox had a lefty starter, gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning with a drive to right that was clocked at 107 miles-per-hour off the bat. Entering the game, García and Ben Rice were the only players on the Yankees roster who had hit a home run off Gray in their careers. García may have been an imperfect trade acquisition because a right-handed slugger might have fit the Yankees better, but he’s contributed all through his time in pinstripes and now in the postseason, too.
-- The Yanks tacked on in the fifth inning and might have had more if they had been more conservative on the basepaths. With two outs and Austin Wells running from first on a 3-2 pitch, Rice hit a grounder through to right field. Wells sprinted to third, putting the Yanks in a strong spot. That’s when Boston manager Chad Tracy yanked Gray and brought in lefty Erik Miller to face Bellinger. Bellinger hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead, and García followed with a single to left. But third-base coach Luis Rojas had Rice try to score from second, and Nate Eaton cut him down at the plate, keeping the Red Sox just two runs behind.
-- Gray, who had a brief, unsuccessful stint with the Yankees across 2017-18, threw 4.2 innings and allowed six hits and two runs. He was booed by the sellout crowd of 49,004 on his way off the mound. But Yankee fans probably should be happy that the Sox took him out, because the Beantown relievers could not keep the score reasonable.
-- With two outs in the sixth inning, Contreras brought Boston within one run with his fourth career postseason homer that snapped the Red Sox’s playoff scoring drought of 26.2 innings dating back to last year. It’s the worst drought in team history. The homer, which came on a 3-2 pitch, was reviewed by umpires because a fan caught it near the wall in right, but it was upheld.
-- The Yankees broke open the game in their half of the sixth inning, scoring six times to go up, 8-1. George Lombard Jr. drove in a run with a single for his first career postseason RBI, Wells hit a sac fly, Ryan McMahon hit an RBI grounder and then Bellinger delivered his 11th career postseason home run, a three-run shot. Along the way, the Yanks knocked out Garrett Crochet, the ace starter who the Red Sox put in their bullpen for the playoffs. He had not pitched since April 25 because of a shoulder injury and perhaps it showed. He struck out the first batter he faced, Spencer Jones, but Jones reached first on a dropped third strike and then stole second and went to third on Adley Rutschman’s throwing error. Then Crochet gave up three straight singles, including a bunt hit by Trent Grisham, resulting in a run and loading the bases and the inning went haywire.
-- In the seventh inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole a base, a nifty callback to August, when a Red Sox broadcaster criticized Chisholm for stealing a bag in a lopsided game. He and Grisham then pulled a double steal to put runners on second and third with one out. Wells followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 9-2. It was Wells’ fourth RBI of the series.
-- Here’s something to tuck away for later in the playoffs: The Red Sox challenged Grisham in center in the third when a bloop hit fell in front of him. Eaton sped into second base for a hustle double, easily beating Grisham’s throw. It ended up being harmless – Fried struck out Jahmai Jones looking on a sweeper and retired Rutschman on a grounder to end the inning – unless, that is, other teams take advantage if there are similar opportunities going forward.
Game MVP: Luis Garcia Jr.
García Jr., who got the scoring started in the fourth inning with his first career postseason home run, a 387-foot solo shot off Boston starter Sonny Gray. He added two singles and finished 3-for-5 on the night.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Manger Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox removes Sonny Gray #54 from the game against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox just got eliminated by their biggest rivals for the second consecutive season.
The Yankees made Boston pay in grand fashion Wednesday night in a 9-2 defeat to sweep the American League Wild Card Series. New York heads south to meet the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS while the Red Sox head back to Boston far sooner than they could have hoped for the second year in a row.
Willson Contreras and Nick Sogard homered. At least Nate Eaton wanted to play baseball Wednesday night. Sonny Gray pitched pretty well. None of it mattered.
Both putrid losses followed a similar script: starting pitcher pulled too early, offense fails to create any momentum, bullpen calls backfire and Yankee fans party in the bleachers. And now – with the lockout looming – the Red Sox head into winter with problems to solve.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night’s season-ending loss.
SONNY DESERVED BETTER
The veteran right-hander looked the part of a frontline starter in an elimination game. Man, did his stuff look on from pitch one. Ben Rice smacked the staff around last night and Gray finished him off to start the night with a fantastic curveball. He showed flashes of a great two-seam fastball, including a filthy front-door one to strikeout Spencer Jones.
Gray racked up 12 swings-and-misses (16 was his season-high) in 4 2/3 frames. He truly made just a single “mistake” on the evening – not that bad of a pitch – on the breaking ball that Luis Garcia Jr. golfed into the right field seats for a solo home run. He allowed another earned run that Erik Miller, who entered for Gray with two on and two out in the fifth inning, allowed to score on an RBI single for Cody Bellinger.
Even more so than the debate with Payton Tolle for Game 1, there was no reason to take Gray out of the ballgame given how he had thrown the ball to that point at just 70 pitches – especially to turn to Miller amid his struggles from the end of the regular season and Tuesday night’s mistake pitch to Rice.
Gray’s future – both as a Red Sox and as a player with hints toward retirement throughout the year – will be up in the air. He more than did his job Wednesday night.
CHAD TRACY HAS A LONG WAY TO GO
The Red Sox really didn’t score enough to make this point the headliner, but Chad Tracy spun himself in circles with his bullpen usage and it consistently burned him – usually immediately after. Erik Miller imploded in both outings. Trusted arms in Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock gave up back-breaking homers after getting the call far later than they should have to keep the game close. Every bullpen button he pressed was wrong.
He ditched the interim tag and has a three-year contract to look forward to. If he really wants to earn it, he has to gain some feel and conviction beyond his calming presence in the clubhouse and stretch beyond the miraculous stretch of July baseball Boston used to even reach this point.
OFFENSE NEEDS AN OVERHAUL
The Red Sox did enough to get here, but let’s be honest. Even if Roman Anthony was healthy, did this lineup scare anyone in the playoffs? Was there any chance to hang a crooked number?
Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have been zeroes offensively in both years they’ve made it. Caleb Durbin finished quietly. Too many AAAA players have been asked to take playoff at-bats at Yankee Stadium in each of the last two seasons. That cannot continue
People will be upset that the Red Sox did not earn a home playoff game. That’s because they didn’t earn it. Complaints about the current playoff format are honestly irrelevant.
Want playoff baseball back at Fenway Park? Build a better team that can actually thump their opponents in the playoffs. Until then, the Yankees will run circles around you in The Bronx for the rest of the decade, no matter the fun the kids find in the summer at Fenway.
Contreras’ homer finally snapped a 26 2/3 inning scoring drought in the postseason dating back to Game 2 of last year’s series in New York. The Red Sox need to overhaul a lineup that doesn’t have a one player or one position solution. Creativity has to prevail because the offense clearly hasn’t worked for two years running against the Yankees.
The White Sox jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and never looked back, defeating the Houston Astros, 7-3, on Wednesday, Sept. 30 to complete a series sweep. The White Sox advanced to play the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS, which begins Saturday, Oct. 3.
To White Sox manager Will Venable, the ruthless first inning exemplified his team’s approach.
“The way that we started was really, I think, indicative of that fearlessness and the guys responded behind it, so just amazing stuff,” he said.
Poetically, it was the White Sox’s first postseason series win since they swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series.
Chase Meidroth, whose three-run homer in the sixth inning on Wednesday put the game away for the White Sox, said the result came down to belief, energy and confidence.
“We got a young, hungry group, some veteran guys that we lean on,” Meidroth said. “But, yeah, it's been the same all year. We believe we can win every game.”
Astros fans at Daikin Park began to believe it, too, when the White Sox pounded Houston starter Hunter Brown for four runs in the first inning. Three solo home runs by Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve chipped the lead to one run, but the Astros failed to capitalize on other opportunities before Meidroth’s decisive blast.
In the fifth inning, the Astros had Alvarez, this year’s AL batting title winner, at the plate with two on and one out. But White Sox southpaw Anthony Kay got Alvarez to fly out and, after walking Isaac Paredes, induced a flyout from Altuve to leave the bases loaded.
Alvarez hit .200 with zero home runs and eight walks in 29 plate appearances against the White Sox this regular season, and went 1-for-8 in the wild-card series. Venable said Chicago was prepared to walk Alvarez in certain scenarios, but said those situations never arose.
Chicago was two outs away from securing the win when a chant of, “Let’s go, White Sox!” broke out down the third-base line.
After the White Sox suffered through four consecutive sub-.500 seasons, including losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons, triumph took over.
Venable said he is neither a champagne nor a cigar man, but the second-year manager grinned ear-to-ear as he sprayed his players and staff with bubbly inside the clubhouse.
“From where the organization was and the pain that was those couple years and those 100-loss seasons, and then to see the growth and to have the fans be part of this and be able to celebrate it, it just makes me happy,” Venable said.
Veteran designated hitter Andrew Benintendi was the only White Sox player in Wednesday’s lineup with previous postseason experience, which came in 2016-18 with the Boston Red Sox.
Now in his fourth season with the White Sox, Benintendi clutched a paper cup filled with Crown Royal and cola and recalled the club’s significant improvement in the second half of the 2025 season. That turnaround sparked a belief that simmered all summer and boiled over this season, Benintendi said, accelerated by a carefree camaraderie.
“I think Antonacci said it: We’re just a bunch of idiots that enjoy hanging out and getting after it together,” Benintendi said.
Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes, and Wednesday’s victory spurred a celebration as boisterous as the team’s eclectic collection of personalities.
Reliever Erick Fedde, who tossed the game’s final two scoreless innings, laid shirtless and glided like a hockey puck across a folding table slick with beer as his teammates pushed him back and forth. Catcher Kyle Teel danced with first baseman Munetaka Murakami and yelled, “I am Japanese!!!” mimicking Murakami’s viral postgame interview from when the White Sox clinched their postseason berth a few days earlier.
Buckets of Dubble Bubble chewing gum were emptied of their contents and refilled with alcohol. Cigar smoke clouded the air and booze pooled on the floor. Then, the bottles of Budweiser ran out.
“We need more beer! They weren’t prepared for us,” someone yelled.
Eventually, the celebration spilled out into the dugout tunnel and onto the field, the site of countless playoff celebrations over the last decade – but usually for the home team.
Since 2015, the Astros have played and won more postseason games than any other American League club. From 2017 through 2023, Houston made the ALCS every year and won 100-plus games in four different seasons. After missing out on the playoffs in 2025, the Astros this season went 81-81 and became the first team in MLB history to make the postseason without a winning record.
But the White Sox had their own history to rewrite, and in the process played a part in dismantling a dynasty.
In the wild-card series, the White Sox offense hit 8-for-20 with runners in scoring position while the Astros hit 0-for-9.
“I think the mindset here is it’s just another game,” Benintendi said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s at home or on the road; we’re going to show up, do what we do and hopefully everything goes our way. And we showed up these last two games.”
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 19: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons goes up for the rebound during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 19, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have been floated as a potential trade destination for Jalen Duren over the past week. It remains unclear whether there is any actual fire amid the billowing smoke.
The Wizards were among four teams ESPN’s Marc J. Spears mentioned during Monday’s episode of NBA Today that were said to “have interest in a potential sign-and-trade” for Duren. Washington’s inclusion in the report caught Jorge Sedano off guard, to the point that he felt the need to interrupt Spears.
“The Wizards one, let’s just recklessly speculate for a second,” Sedano said. “There’s one salary, one particular one that still is unsigned moving forward in Anthony Davis that could make the math work.”
“I think you are probably doing good math,” Spears replied.
REPORT: If Jalen Duren doesn’t sign an extension with the Pistons, four teams could be interested in a sign-and-trade:
🦌 Milwaukee Bucks 🦅 Atlanta Hawks 👑 Sacramento Kings 🧙♂️ Washington Wizards
A report published Wednesday by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson initially corroborated Spears. At first, the article “confirmed an ESPN report indicating that the Washington Wizards would have interest in a Duren-for-Anthony Davis trade,” which was supposedly not of interest to Detroit.
The Athletic later removed the Wizards mention from the article entirely and included an amendment clarifying that the earlier reporting was erroneous.
“An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the Wizards would have interest in a potential Duren-Anthony Davis sign-and-trade. The article has been corrected by removing that reference,” the amendment read.
It’s possible the Wizards tried to gauge interest in a Duren-Davis swap and covered their tracks once they realized there was none, so as not to risk shaking up team chemistry. It could also be that the reporting was simply wrong or overblown from the beginning.
The Rays went 98-64 and beat out the Yankees for the AL East and the No. 1 seed. They went 55-26 at the Trop. The Yankees went 2-5 there this season.
Judge's right calf strain kept him off the wild-card roster. He has said he wants to play this postseason, but even if he does, he might not be at full speed. The concrete floor at the Trop isn't going to do him any favors, either.
The Yankees and Rays have met in October only once. In 2020, in a pandemic bubble where they played in San Diego's Petco Park, Mike Brosseau homered off Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of Game 5, and the Rays won 2-1. A month earlier, Chapman had been suspended for throwing at Brosseau's head.
When does the Yankees vs Rays ALDS start?
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field (TBS, truTV, HBO Max)
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, TV TBA
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Yankee Stadium, Time and TV TBA
Game 4, if needed: Thursday, Oct. 8 at Yankee Stadium, Time and TV TBA
Game 5, if needed: Saturday, Oct. 10 at Tropicana Field, Time and TV TBA
How did the Yankees do against the Rays in 2026?
The Rays won the season series 7-6. Location mattered in the series.
Tampa Bay went 5-2 at the Trop. Three of those wins came in April by one or two runs, including one in 10 innings. In July, Shane McClanahan shut out the Yankees 3-0.
The Yankees went 4-2 in the Bronx. In September, Carlos Rodon won 2-0, and Gerrit Cole won 9-2.
Cam Schlittler made two starts at the Trop. He lost 5-4 in April and won 5-1 in July.
What will decide Yankees vs Rays?
The Trop: The Yankees have struggled there historically and the Rays have homefield advantage.
Cam Schlittler: The AL Cy Young favorite has a 1.95 ERA.
Aaron Judge: Even if he plays, a calf strain could slow him down, especially at the Trop.
The Rays' bats: Tampa Bay has lost seven straight playoff games and scored two runs in its last four. That's a lot of pressure on Junior Caminero in his second postseason appearance.
After taking care of business with a two-game sweep of the rival Red Sox, they fittingly advance to face another division foe, the Tampa Bay Rays, in the Divisional Series.
Here are the full dates for the best-of-five set, which gets underway over the weekend...
A much more dangerous divisional opponent awaits, but the Yankees will be flying high into the ALDS after making light work of the Red Sox, finishing off a two-game sweep with an emphatic 9-2 win over their rivals Wednesday night in front of a jubilant sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium.
After fending off the pesky Red Sox for a second straight year in this opening round, the Yankees will now try to conquer the Rays, whom they could never chase down for the AL East in the final months of the regular season. Game 1 is Saturday at Tropicana Field, and unlike last year when they stretched themselves thin to beat the Red Sox and paid for it against the Blue Jays, they should enter the ALDS in a strong position to start Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón, and possibly with Judge even ready to join the party.
The Yankees’ Luis García Jr. is all smiles as he rounds the bases on his solo home run in the fourth inning on Sept. 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The best player in baseball isn’t even playing right now and we’ve been dominating,” said Cam Schlittler, who led the domination in Game 1. “So we’re only going to get stronger when [Judge] gets back.
“It’s good to get it done in two. Now we’re set up perfectly for Tampa.”
The Yankees followed the same script in Game 2 as they did in Game 1 — a dominant starting pitcher protecting a small lead until their bats could break the game open — just with some different actors leading the way. Max Fried tossed six innings of one-run ball, nearly matching what Schlittler did Tuesday, while Cody Bellinger delivered the knockout punch that Ben Rice did the night before, clobbering a three-run homer in the sixth inning that put the champagne on ice.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is greeted by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. after scoring on a three-run home run in the sixth inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostNew York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones dumps champagne over designated hitter Ben Rice. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostNew York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates in the clubhouse after the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox to advance to the ALDS during Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Emphasizing the Yankees’ greatest strength — and the biggest reason they have high hopes and dreams for October — in their rotation, Fried struck out six and scattered three hits across six innings. When Willson Contreras snuck a home run over the right field wall against him in the sixth inning, it snapped a 26-inning scoreless streak by Yankees pitchers in the postseason against the Red Sox, dating back to Game 2 of last year’s AL wild-card series.
“That’s been the biggest strength for us throughout the year,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It sustained us. It got us through some difficult times. And I feel like they’re all in a good place right now.”
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. celebrates with Trent Grisham after the final out of the ninth inning of Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox to go to the ALDS. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Contreras’ homer pulled the Red Sox within 2-1, but the Yankees found an immediate answer in the bottom of the frame, first with a steady dose of small ball before Bellinger’s long ball.
Rookie Spencer Jones provided the spark, using his speed and hustle to reach first base on a dropped third strike from Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, who was making his first appearance since April 25. Jones then stole second and took third as the throw trickled into center field, allowing him to score on fellow rookie George Lombard Jr.’s lined single that made it 3-1 in another dash of homegrown happenings.
Fried reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the fifth inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostBoston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray is pulled from the game in the fifth inning during Game 2. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, who were both on the bench for Game 1, followed with singles to load the bases (Grisham on a bunt to third base, with an off-target throw from Caleb Durbin).
After the Red Sox put Crochet out of his misery and brought in righty Garrett Whitlock, Austin Wells hit a sacrifice fly for the second straight night before Ryan McMahon hit a soft groundout to score another run for the 5-1 lead.
The Red Sox then intentionally walked Rice, who homered twice and drove in six runs in Game 1, but it backfired as Bellinger lifted a three-run homer to the short porch that took forever to land, the crowd entering a frenzy well before it did.
“I had a lot of confidence in them,” Judge said. “Going into the series, obviously I wanted to be out there with them, but going into it, this is a dangerous group, and they’ve showed it here in this series.”
The New York Yankees celebrate on the field after defeating the Boston Red Sox. Robert Sabo for NY Post
For a second straight night, the Yankees pounced on the Red Sox bullpen once manager Chad Tracy pulled his starter early in the fifth inning of a 1-0 game — Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Sonny Gray in Game 2. And on both nights, they turned it into as much of a laugher as you will find in the playoffs, sending them full steam ahead into the ALDS.
“At that point,” Chisholm said, “when everyone’s working in sync like that, especially the talent we have on this team, I feel like we’re unbeatable.”
DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, dropped the gloves with Brandt Clarke and helped lead the Colorado Avalanche to an emphatic 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on opening night at Ball Arena.
The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner made his presence felt in just about every way possible. He scored 23 seconds into the second period, added another goal later in the frame and then, with Colorado protecting a three-goal lead in the third, squared up with Clarke in a fight that sent both players to the penalty box.
“It’s an intense game, and obviously he didn’t say a great word to me, so I didn’t like the word,” MacKinnon said afterward. “Yeah, we fought.”
Nathan MacKinnon following a night that included two goals and some fisticuffs.
MacKinnon said he initiated the challenge, pointing to the way Clarke plays as part of the reason tensions boiled over.
“He plays hard, he gets under guys’ skin,” MacKinnon said. “He’s a really good defenseman. But sometimes when you play like that, you have to fight sometimes.”
It was an eventful opening night for more than just MacKinnon.
Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, while Brock Nelson recorded a goal and two assists in his Colorado debut. Parker Kelly, Nicolas Roy and Gabriel Landeskog also found the back of the net, and MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 27 of 31 shots in his Avalanche debut.
Colorado's power play went 4-for-5 on the night, while Darcy Kuemper struggled at the other end, allowing eight goals on 29 shots for a .724 save percentage.
First Period
The opening draw of the 2026-27 season was won by the Avalanche. After briefly losing possession, MacKinnon drove the puck down the ice and fired the game's first shot, which Kuemper easily gathered.
Colorado generated a quality opportunity nearly three minutes into the game when Nazem Kadri gained control along the left wing and carried the puck into the offensive zone before finding an open Nicolas Roy. Roy closed in on Kuemper, but the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy finalist turned aside the high-danger chance with a blocker save.
The Avalanche were awarded their first power play of the season when Kings forward Andre Lee shot the puck out of play for a delay-of-game penalty. For the first time this season, Avalanche fans got a look at the supposedly new-and-improved power play.
Colorado opened the scoring at 6:33 when Brock Nelson capitalized on a broken play. Jaden Schwartz's pass was initially intended for Artturi Lehkonen, but the puck deflected off his stick and landed perfectly for Nelson, who was waiting in the slot. The veteran forward snapped it past Kuemper just inside the left post for his first goal of the season.
Just past the halfway mark, Colorado went to its first penalty kill of the season after Schwartz was whistled for hooking.
With nearly nine minutes remaining in the period, Los Angeles had a golden opportunity to tie the game when Adrian Kempe — the Kings' leading scorer last season — unloaded a blistering one-timer from the low slot. But MacKenzie Blackwood was up to the task, making a spectacular save to keep Colorado ahead 1-0.
The Avalanche successfully killed off the penalty, starting the season a perfect 1-for-1 on both the power play and penalty kill.
Los Angeles eventually broke through with 4:46 remaining. Brian Dumoulin took a drop pass from Alex Laferriere and fired a shot through a maze of bodies in front of Blackwood, beating the goaltender to tie the game 1-1.
Devon Toews was sent to the penalty box for holding with roughly four minutes remaining after Joel Armia slashed his stick out of his hands. Toews responded by shoving Armia, but it was the Avalanche defenseman who ultimately received the penalty.
Just three seconds after the penalty expired, Parker Kelly restored Colorado's lead.
Fresh off a career-high 21-goal season, the 27-year-old forward took a pass from Josh Manson and fired a wrist shot that deflected off Kuemper and into the net with 2:02 remaining. It was Kelly's first goal of the season, and fittingly, Taylor Swift's “The Fate of Ophelia” began playing over the loudspeakers inside Ball Arena immediately afterward.
Adrian Kempe and Kings captain Drew Doughty were both penalized late in the period, with Kempe called for tripping Schwartz and Doughty assessed a cross-checking penalty against T.J. Hughes. The penalty came just moments after Hughes, making his professional debut, was denied by Kuemper on a rebound opportunity.
After 20 minutes, the Avalanche held a 2-1 lead despite Los Angeles holding a 13-10 advantage in shots on net.
Second Period
The Avalanche began the period with 1:12 remaining on a 5-on-3 power play. And, much like their first man advantage of the night, they wasted little time converting.
MacKinnon made it a 3-1 game just 23 seconds into the period, giving Colorado its second power-play goal of the night and his first of the season.
The Kings answered with a strike of their own. Moments after T.J. Hughes had the puck picked off by Joel Armia, the Kings forward snapped a wrist shot past Blackwood to cut Colorado's lead to 3-2.
At 8:33, MacKinnon scored his second goal of the night on a scintillating sequence. It started when Brent Burns connected with Martin Necas near center ice. Necas, coming off his first 100-point season, carried the puck up the ice, evaded a check and left a pass for MacKinnon, who skated into the zone before ripping a wrist shot past Kuemper to restore Colorado's two-goal advantage.
Hughes was sent to the penalty box with 7:36 remaining after being assessed a roughing penalty against Brandt Clarke. The call came moments after Clarke took Cale Makar down from behind during a breakaway attempt.
Nicolas Roy then scored his first goal of the season with just over three minutes remaining on a wild sequence in front of the Kings' net. Kuemper sprawled across the crease attempting to make a save, while Schwartz ended up down inside the blue paint after being shoved from behind by Dumoulin. The goal stood after Los Angeles opted not to challenge for goaltender interference, giving Colorado a 5-2 lead.
The Kings answered shortly afterward when Trevor Moore beat Blackwood with a wrist shot while shorthanded, cutting the Avalanche's lead to 5-3 on what appeared to be a soft goal.
After Joel Edmundson was called for slashing MacKinnon, the Avalanche went back to the power play and converted for the third time on the night. Lehkonen one-timed a pass from the slot off a slick feed from Nelson, restoring Colorado's three-goal cushion at 6-3.
The Avalanche carried that 6-3 lead into the second intermission.
Third Period
Artemi Panarin cut Colorado's lead to 6-4 with 8:09 remaining after Alex Turcotte slipped behind the Avalanche defense and screened Blackwood. Panarin found the loose puck and beat Blackwood five-hole to bring the Kings within two.
Just over a minute later, MacKinnon and Clarke dropped the gloves.
MacKinnon landed a pair of right hands before sending Clarke to the ice. After winning the fight, MacKinnon picked up his helmet and chucked it across the ice as he headed to the penalty box.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog answered for Colorado, scoring on a backhand to restore the Avalanche's three-goal lead at 7-4. Turcotte was subsequently assessed a tripping penalty, giving Colorado an opportunity to go a perfect 4-for-4 on the power play.
After an offseason filled with hope and hype, the Philadelphia Flyers could not have suffered through a more nightmarish loss to start their 2026-27 season if they tried.
On Wednesday night, the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins marched into Xfinity Mobile Arena and smashed the Flyers, winning by an eye-watering 7-0 margin. Nick Robertson opened the scoring with a redirection, and Ville Koivunen doubled the Penguins' lead to 2-0 on a breakaway, taking advantage of a poor line change from the Flyers.
After getting out-shot 11-5 in the first period and trailing 2-0, the hope was that the Flyers would respond in a meaningful fashion in the second period, but things just snowballed from there.
An exasperated Rick Tocchet said after the game that he didn't know if the Flyers won a battle, and the effort and score reflected that assessment.
Evgeni Malkin, Filip Hallander, and Hendrix Lapierre all scored for the Penguins in the span of 5:20 to put the Penguins up 5-0, and the Flyers carrying a 26-12 shots on goal deficit.
"That's a team that didn't want to be engaged," Tocchet said of the Flyers. "As much defensively as offensively."
Discipline was an issue for the Flyers, too, as Porter Martone, Nick Seeler, and Travis Konecny all took needless penalties starting their own altercations unprovoked.
The Flyers hung Dan Vladar out to dry against the Penguins. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
Ultimately, the Penguins were 2-for-4 on the power play while also scoring shorthanded, and the Flyers went 0-for-3. On paper, that's hardly the difference in a 7-0 loss, but the Flyers failed to build and maintain any momentum, and special teams once again were a piece of that equation.
By the time Robertson and Egor Chinakhov scored the sixth and seventh goals for the Penguins, the Flyers already looked wholly disinterested in finishing out the game, and they looked very much like the team that got smoked 5-1 by the Washington Capitals' prospects and depth AHLers in the preseason finale.
After the game, Flyers captains Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim resisted definitively answering questions about complacency and preparedness, though after an abhorrent effort such as the one put forth Wednesday night at a home opener, it's fair to wonder.
"Once we're out there, we gotta bring a compete level a lot higher, win more one-on-one battles, and not rely on our skill," Couturier said. "We know we got talent in this locker room, but [if] we're not gonna win battles and support each other, that talent's not gonna bring us too far."
"I don't have an answer," Tocchet said matter-of-factly. "They out-coached us tonight, they out-played us, they did everything better than us tonight."
Sanheim was quick to point out that the Flyers play again on Thursday night, representing an opportunity to flush this one straight away.
"We got a game tomorrow night. We can bounce back and forget about this, and if we do that, everyone won't remember," Sanheim assessed.
The Flyers' next opponents will be the New Jersey Devils, who have their home opener at 7 p.m. on Thursday night.
That's a faster, more skilled team that won't be banged up like the Penguins, who were without Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, and Andrei Kuzmenko (personal) on Wednesday night.
"If we play like this tomorrow with a team like Jersey, it's going to be even worse, so we got to be careful," Tocchet said.
